AR ZONE
HOW WHIRLPOOLS FORM
These ominous vortices have the power to suck nearby objects into a watery spiral
WORDS AILSA HARVEY
The Naruto whirlpools are produced by harsh tidal currents
When you pull the plug out of a sink full of water, the water starts to move in a circular motion towards the drain. As it gets closer to the drain, this movement accelerates, and a column of swirling air can appear above it. This display is similar to a phenomenon that appears in nature, called whirlpools. Fast-flowing currents in oceans and rivers constantly change direction. When water moving in two different directions comes into contact, the two streams interact in an unusual way. They can’t continue to travel at the same speed and direction through one another, so they are forced to turn and swirl around each other. Depending on the volume of water and the force of colliding waters, whirlpools can appear in different sizes. Some whirlpools form and disappear over a short period of time, while others have existed for centuries. Larger and more dangerous whirlpools are called maelstroms. These hold the power to fatally engulf anyone who comes too close.